Despite widespread community protests, the Minneapolis Board of Education is set to vote on the proposal to close North High School at their November 9th meeting. But with a growing tide of community opposition, and an election in two weeks, Board members face growing pressure to step back from this attack on the students and the wider North-side community. Now is the time to step up the pressure on the Board. With an all-out community mobilization, we can stop this! Help spread the word!

Background Info
Minneapolis District officials have pointed toward declining enrollment at North High and district-wide as their reason for closing the school. Less than 270 students are now enrolled in North, but declining enrollment is a direct result of District neglect, under-funding and a privatizing of public schools. District policies have pushed down North’s numbers and now the District is proposing to phase out public education in the center of Minneapolis’s largest African American community (see Nick Coleman's Star Tribune opinion piece for more info).

The School Board gave the community a challenge, and the Community has responded. Saturday, October 16th, over 100 community members came together and committed to work to improve North. We began a discussion of what a successful North Community High School would look like, and what we could contribute to make it happen. The North High community and supporters throughout Minneapolis have committed to work with students, teachers and parents to rebuild North High. We are demanding that the Minneapolis School Board make the same commitment.

The SNHC represents the multiple voices of the North High community. It includes the Committe for North, the North High Alumni Association, The Friends of North High Foundation, and the Public Education Justice Alliance of Minnesota (PEJAM), in addition to other parents, students, and members of the North High Community.

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About PEJAM

We are a grassroots community organization of teachers, parents, students, and community members dedicated to defending and supporting a fully funded, just, equitable, and democratic system of public education.

Check out the Points of Unity page for our full platform on education issues.